Court Jails Five Chinese Men For Internet Fraud

By Felix Kuyinu

The Federal High Court in Ikoyi Lagos has convicted five Chinese nationals for offences bordering on cyber-terrorism and fraud.

The convicts: Guo Qiang, Yang Shumei, Guo Yong, Zhang Feng and Lu Liang were arraigned by the Economic and Finacial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and sentenced to one year in prison each by Justice Deinde Dipeolu who presided over the court case.

The EFCC relayed that the lawbreakers, who indulged in cryptocurrency investment and romance fraud, were arrested during a string operation tagged “Eagle Flush” in December 2024.

One of the charges against them reads: “That you, Guo Qiang (aka Wu You You) sometime in December 2024 at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourabe Court, wilfully caused to be accessed computer system for the purpose of destabilizing and destroying the economy and social structure of Nigeria and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 18 of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (As Amended, 2024]”.

They initially pleaded not guilty to the charges, however, during Tuesday’s sitting, they all accepted guilty.

Justice Dipeolu ordered that upon completion of their sentences, the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, should ensure that they are repatriated to their country of origin within seven days.